Being environmentally conscious is a major pillar for most businesses out there, but when they toss sustainability buzzwords into their marketing materials, do you actually know what they're talking about? Sadly, in some cases, companies are intentionally vague with their eco vocabulary to deliberately mislead customers to believe the brand is more sustainable than it really is — that's a situation called greenwashing.
If you want to identify greenwashing as a consumer, a good place to start is by learning the true meanings of the buzzwords being tossed around by businesses, so you can suss out whether or not they're being authentic. (It's also not a bad idea to familiarize yourself with this vocabulary in general.) That's why we've put together this glossary of some of the most common sustainability-oriented buzzwords — read on to find out what they mean.
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Biodegradable: Able to be decomposed by living organisms, like bacteria, into compounds found in nature.
Carbon footprint: The amount of greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide) generated by an entity. According to Nature Conservancy, the average carbon footprint for an American is 16 tons per year.
Carbon negative: When an entity removes more greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide) than it generates. Also known as climate positive.
Carbon neutral: When an entity emits and removes the same amount of greenhouse gases (typically carbon dioxide) through its actions. Also known as net-zero emissions.
Carbon offsets: Measures that remove or reduce carbon in the atmosphere to compensate for an entity's carbon emissions. "Purchasing" carbon offsets usually equates to funding an action that removes carbon from the atmosphere, like reforestation projects, per the Carbon Offset Research and Education Program.
Certified B Corporation (or Corp): A company that meets "high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials," as vetted by the third-party company B Lab.
Climate positive: When an entity removes more greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide) than it generates. Also known as carbon negative.
Circular economy: A model of production in which materials are reused or recycled to eliminate waste. IKEA, for instance, plans to be fully circular by 2030.
Compost: Organic matter made from decomposed organic materials that serves as a fertilizer and soil enhancer.
Compostable: Able to be decomposed into an organic material that has beneficial uses, like soil fertilizer. Note: All compostable items are biodegradable, but not all biodegradable items are compostable because the end product may not be true compost, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Cruelty-free: Products that are not tested on animals. The use of this term is not regulated, however, so companies can claim that a final product is cruelty-free even if its ingredients were tested on animals. Leaping Bunny is a reputable organization that verifies the authenticity of the term "cruelty-free."
Eco-conscious: Showing a demonstrated concern for the environment.
Eco-friendly: Per Merriam-Webster, this means "not environmentally harmful." Since that definition is broad, if a company claims it's eco-friendly, you'll want to dig deeper into how it's doing well by the environment.
Ethical: Adhering to a widely accepted set of moral principles. When used as a sustainability buzzword, ethical could mean anything from the fair treatment of workers to animal-free testing. When a company claims it's ethical, you should look into its practices more deeply.
Fair Trade Certified: A designation by nonprofit Fair Trade USA that ensures a product "meets rigorous social, environmental, and economic standards."
Green: A catch-all descriptor of something purported to be environmentally friendly. "Going green" means changing processes to become more environmentally friendly. Such claims should be investigated to ensure authenticity.
Greywater/gray water: Household or industrial wastewater from sinks, showers, laundry, etc. that is able to be repurposed. Per the Water Education Foundation, greywater must not come into contact with bacterial contaminants, as that becomes dangerous to reuse. (Case in point: feces.)
Natural: Per Merriam-Webster, "occurring in conformity with the ordinary course of nature." However, when it comes to food labels, items labeled "natural" can still be "minimally processed," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Be wary of products labeled with this term.
Net-zero emissions: When an entity emits and removes the same amount of greenhouse gases (typically carbon dioxide) through its actions. Also known as carbon neutral.
Organic: Per Merriam-Webster, "related to or obtained from living things." In order for a company to label a product "organic," the product has to meet federal guidelines issued by the USDA. Products labeled "organic" can, however, include non-organic ingredients — up to 5% of the total composition.
Reclaimed: Recovered from waste products and repurposed.
Renewable energy/clean energy: Power collected from sources that are replenished naturally, such as sunlight and wind.
Single-use: Products designed to be used for a short period before being disposed of. Often made of plastic.
Sustainability: The ability to be maintained in perpetuity. Per the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "[t]o pursue sustainability is to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations."
Upcycled: Reusing an item in a manner that has a higher value (real or perceived) than its original value. For instance, in 2020, West Elm and Eileen Fisher collaborated on a set of pillow covers and an upholstered chair made from previously owned denim.
Vegan: Using or containing zero products derived from animals.
Zero waste: Consuming resources in a manner that conserves or recycles them rather than disposes of them. Per the EPA, different communities have varied definitions of the term, with some being more intensive than others. You can check out those definitions here.